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The Taoiseach said earlier today that he would be "pleasantly surprised" if there were less than 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths in Ireland.

“Take the average flu season in Ireland, there would be roughly 500 deaths. If you had a bad flu season in Ireland you would have roughly 1,000 deaths.

“So it would be a surprise and a very pleasant surprise if the number of deaths at the end of it was less than 1,000.”

We will be providing the latest updates from the press conference below.

21:23Michael Hayes

Restrictions in full:

21:03Michael Hayes

Press conference finished now

We will be providing full updates on the new measures shortly.

21:01Michael Hayes

Cocooning:

Taoiseach says over 70s and those at risk should remain at home.

Dr Holohan says it is "a significant further ask" but that many people are effectively already doing, and limiting contact to those who are providing assistance to them.

20:59Michael Hayes

How can 2km radius be policed?

Taoiseach says he is reluctant to use the term lockdown and would prefer to be specific, but says new measures are "restrictive".

"Not much more beyond this we could do," he adds.

Says the 2km rule will be hard to police but Gardai can enforce penalties. Adds that consent and co-operation are best ways to ensure these measures are effective.

20:58Michael Hayes

Two weeks time:

Dr Holohan says it is hard to know where we will be in two weeks, but hopes we will see the impact hoped by bringing in new measures.

20:56Michael Hayes

Now taking questions:

A question on new restrictions coming so quickly - Dr Holohan says that "we were concerned about ICU admissions and the rise in number of deaths."

20:54Michael Hayes

Stresses need to slow the spread through community:

"We think we can drive this out of the community and limit them into households" says Dr Holohan.

20:53Michael Hayes

Dr Tony Holohan:

Says there are "signs that are encouraging" including a drop in number of contacts for new cases, but that we need to go further.

Day-on-day increase has also slowed down, but this only tells us "we are having an early impact" but that ICU admissions continue to increase.

"While still at an early point, now is the time to suppress this disease as much as possible."

20:52Michael Hayes

Minister for Health says we have to accept restrictions

And adds that this will save time ahead.

"We need to stay the course, and put simply, we need to stay at home."

20:50Michael Hayes

Can we do more?

Minister Harris says "we can and we will" as he asks people to help each other through these new restrictions.

20:49Michael Hayes

Simon Harris

Asks Irish people to stand with healthcare workers, and stay at home while healthcare workers continue to work.

20:48Michael Hayes

'Freedom hard won in this country'

"Freedom is not an abstract concept" says Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, asking people to comply with these restrictions and forego our liberties and freedoms "for the love of each other".

20:47Michael Hayes

No travel more than 2km from home except in above restrictions

These restrictions will be in place initially for 2 weeks.

20:46Michael Hayes

Cocooning to be introduced

Cocooning to be introduced for those over 70 years of age

20:46Michael Hayes

New restrictions on retail:

These restrictions will be clarified later.

All visits to healthcare settings now not allowed.

20:45Michael Hayes

Further exceptions:

Farming is also an exception.

"This prohibition includes social family visits."

20:44Michael Hayes

'Further recommendations'

Government received further recommendations.

From midnight tonight for two weeks:

-Everyone to stay at home, except to travel for essential work

-Shopping

-Vital family reasons

-Collecting medicine

20:43Michael Hayes

'Further actions'

Further actions to be announced to contain and slow down the virus.

Varadkar says that health experts are guiding the Government response.

20:42Michael Hayes

Healthcare worker was reportedly nurse in east of country

The tragic death is the first of a healthcare worker in Ireland due to the pandemic.

20:41Michael Hayes

Taoiseach confirms death of a healthcare worker:

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that a healthcare worker has tragically passed away from Covid-19.

20:41Michael Hayes

Conference begins

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he wants to speak about "the next stage" of Ireland's response as he pays his condolences to anyone bereaved to date, and thanks everyone for their work in "this great national effort".

20:30Michael Hayes

Further restrictions expected:

It looks like there will be further restrictions announced at tonight's press conference.

Due to start shortly.

20:23Michael Hayes

Announcement due shortly

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is set to speak alongside Health Minister Simon Harris and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at a press conference in Dublin in the next 10 minutes.

Follow all the latest updates here.

20:10Michael Hayes

Statement from President Michael D. Higgins following signing the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest bill:

“As we enter a crucial period in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, may I again express my sympathies to all those who have lost a family member or friend, and my best wishes to all those who have been infected by the virus, all those who have not had the opportunity to express their grief, or offer their care and visits to those they love.

May I express, on behalf of the people of Ireland, our shared sense of sadness at the increase in the number of our people who have died as a result of the pandemic.

Behind the statistics we will hear, or have read, that there are families grieving and people in distress because they cannot meet their loved ones.

As we muster our resolve to be far more vigilant as we enter a most difficult phase of tackling the virus, it is appropriate for me to express my thanks to the Irish people for their response to the crisis, and urge them to stay the course and encourage others to do so.

So many people are continuing to do their best to keep us safe and to keep the country going, through their efforts in the health service, in public service bodies, in important social services, in shops and in pharmacies. It is appropriate that we, as a nation, thank them for their service by doing our bit, by complying with the HSE advice.

Extraordinary and difficult measures have been necessary as we try to stem the tide of increasing infection. The effects of those measures will become visible in the coming weeks.

The legislation is emergency legislation for a time of crisis. It is appropriate that it has time limits and leaves our constitutional rights in place.

These are difficult times, but our difficulties will come to an end. Let us make sure that, through the decisions and actions we take at present, we ensure the health and safety of each other, all of us together.

Beir beannacht.”

20:02Michael Hayes

Leo Varadkar:

19:54Michael Hayes

Earlier today:

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that intensive care units were just days from reaching capacity.

He said: “Just the way things are heading indicate that ICU will be at capacity in a number of days.

“That’s already the case around Europe - it may happen here. We have to plan for that.

“We need to make sure we have capacity, ventilators, all of those things. All of that is happening.

“An unprecedented effort is being made by the health service to tool-up, to recruit, to provide additional capacity.

“Just as we are seeing in Europe and in America, as we saw in China, there is not a health service in the world that will be able to tool-up or scale-up as quickly as is necessary.

“We are going to be managing a very difficult situation and everybody will be doing the best they can.”

19:43Michael Hayes

26% of Irish cases lead to hospitalisation

419 cases in Ireland so far have resulted in hospitalisation, while 59 cases have needed ICU intervention. These figures are as of midnight on Wednesday.